Anglian Water have charged me the wrong tariff for my water bill for two years

Two years ago I bought a house in Norwich. Anglian Water suggested that as I live alone I should have a water meter fitted.

I
have now discovered I have been on the wrong tariff since then.
Apparently, there is a special tariff for people who live alone and have
a water meter, but you have to ask for it a few months after a water
meter is fitted so they can see your water consumption is low.

They
have put me on this tariff and backdated it six months. However, they
refuse to backdate further, saying I have been informed of this special
tariff in my bills and on their website.

I
have looked at my bills and payment book and there is nothing about
this. I am being chased for about £145, but I feel I am owed £90. S. R., Norwich.

Tap me up: I was on the wrong water tariff for two years but Anglian Water will only backdate my bill to the correct one for six months

Tony Hazell, from Money Mail, replies: Anglian says it is sorry you feel it didn’t do enough to tell you about its different tariffs.

However,
it does say these are explained in a leaflet that accompanies its
annual bills. This leaflet also explains how to contact the company if
you feel you qualify.

You
correctly spotted you would be better off on its SoLow tariff. This
waives the usual £112 annual standing charge for water and sewerage.
However, it then charges £1.83 per 1,000 litres for water rather than
the £1.45 charged to standard customers.

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Sewerage
is charged at £2.81 per 1,000 litres rather than £1.58. Incidentally,
sewerage isn’t measured by water companies. They simply assume 90 per
cent of what goes in will come out again.

Anglian admits the tariffs should have been explained to you when you had the meter fitted.

A
spokesman told me: ‘Given the time that has elapsed, it is not possible
to check whether that advice was given but, as a goodwill gesture, we
have agreed to backdate the tariff to the point at which the meter was
installed.’